An exhibition of 150+ works tracing African heritage, resilience, and identity from the 13th century to today
Cheri Samba, Congolese, born 1956; Hommage aux anciens createurs, 1994. Acrylic and glitter on canvas, 31 1/2 x 39 3/8inches. Collection of B. de Grunne, Brussels 2024. © Cheri Samba
The Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) presents ‘Narrative Wisdom’, a showcase of over 150 pieces spanning a variety of media, including sculptures, textiles, works on paper, photography, painting, and time-based installations. These works are crafted by artists from sub-Saharan Africa and African artists currently practising worldwide. The collection offers a powerful lens to examine the intersecting threads of history, modernity, and identity.
Spanning a timeline from the 13th century to the present, the exhibition highlights how art can shape, reinforce, and critique critical cultural and social narratives. The themes explored include the legitimacy and symbols of leadership, the role of collective memory tied to place, and the prescriptive Wisdom for healing and navigating fate. Works reflecting ancestral knowledge anchor these themes, underscoring the resilience and ingenuity inherent to African storytelling across time. By merging historical artefacts with contemporary expressions, the exhibition invites visitors to consider how African heritage influences modern perspectives and remains vibrant in today’s art discourse.
The exhibition invites audiences to explore the profound links between visual and verbal storytelling in African art across a broad spectrum of eras and regions. Nichole N. Bridges, SLAM’s curator of African art and the exhibition’s organizer, explains, “By bringing together sacred and ceremonial objects with everyday pieces, unique artefacts with mass-produced items, and contemporary works with pieces from the 19th century and earlier, this exhibition will help audiences more deeply understand these important, recurring themes and their continued significance.” This approach allows viewers to appreciate the ongoing impact of African storytelling traditions and how they adapt across cultures and contexts.
The exhibition comprises nearly 50 works drawn from SLAM’s African art collection and objects on loan from esteemed museums and private collections worldwide. Among SLAM’s collection are 16 works generously donated in 1983 by Morton D. May, the museum’s most significant donor, alongside 18 more recent acquisitions that continue to enhance and diversify the museum’s African art holdings. ‘Narrative Wisdom’ thus provides a unique perspective on the influence and longevity of storytelling in African art, showing continuity and change through this wide-ranging display.
The ‘Narrative Wisdom’ exhibition offers visitors a rich, multi-dimensional experience. It features an audio guide providing in-depth insights into each piece and theme and a comprehensive 240-page catalogue. This catalogue, a cornerstone of the exhibition, includes essays and reflections from 11 distinguished authors, each bringing unique perspectives to the artworks and themes. Nichole N. Bridges, SLAM’s curator of African art, led the curatorial vision with support from curatorial assistant Amy Clark and research assistant Elyse D. Schaeffer, whose combined efforts bring a thoughtful and inclusive perspective to the exhibition.
To deepen the relevance and accessibility of ‘Narrative Wisdom’ for diverse audiences, the exhibition development was enriched by a community advisory group of local members representing St. Louis’s African and Black diasporic communities. This group played a crucial role in shaping the exhibition’s content interpretation, programming, audience engagement strategies, and communication approach. Their insights will ensure the narratives are meaningful to local audiences and resonate within a broader global dialogue. This collaborative foundation promises to enrich the visitor experience by honouring various voices and perspectives on African and diasporic storytelling, art, and heritage.
The exhibition is on view until the 16th of February, 2025. For more information, please visit the Saint Louis Art Museum.
